MSD named as finalist in ‘Diverse Company’ category at National Diversity Award from shortlist of over 64,000 entries across the UK

September 20, 2021 1:35 pm +00:00

MSD named as finalist in ‘Diverse Company’ category at National Diversity Awards from shortlist of over 64,000 entries across the UK

LONDON, September 20, 2021 – MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK)) announced today that they were a finalist in the ‘Diverse Company’ category at the National Diversity Awards which took place Friday night (September 17) in London.

The National Diversity Awards, which are sponsored by ITV, are one of the highest accolades for championing Diversity in the UK.

MSD was one of twelve finalists shortlisted from 64,000 entries in the ‘Diverse Company’ category and has been recognised for its continued implementation of a strong diversity and inclusion strategy which has resulted in an inclusive culture where employees can ‘bring their whole self to work everyday’.

Milestones achieved – which formed part of the judging criteria, include the introduction of Mental Health First Aider training for employees and the assembly of several successful and thriving networks within the MSD Diversity and Inclusion strands including: the MSD UK Rainbow Alliance (LGBTQ+), LEAD ( League of Employees of African Descent), the Next Generation Network (NGN) which aims to include our multi – generational employees in all that we do, MSD Women’s’ Network and our capABILITY network which supports employees with seen and unseen disabilities.

Susannah Hodgson, Executive Director for Human Resources at MSD in the UK, said: “We are delighted and honoured to be a finalist in these awards. At MSD we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment that embraces different perspectives and values the contributions of everyone. We have always believed that diversity and inclusion are not simply ‘nice’ virtues for us to have, they form a core part of our everyday culture and who we are and we actively encourage everyone to be themselves and bring their whole selves to work every day.

This is an outstanding recognition for the continued work that is undertaken by the people in our company everyday to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or age – has a voice that is heard, and our ongoing work will ensure this continues to happen.”

David Peacock, Managing Director of MSD in the UK, said: “I am extremely proud and excited at the news that MSD has been a finalist for ‘Company of the Year’ at the National Diversity Awards. I am proud to be part of a company that is committed to making meaningful progress toward ensuring a more inclusive society wherever we operate in the world.

This award recognises the excellent progress we have made at MSD to make diversity and inclusion part of our culture – but I believe we are all still on a journey, learning from each other everyday.

The success of any organisation and society in general, depends on all of us embracing diversity and inclusion and making it a living part of our daily lives.”

About MSD

For more than 125 years, MSD has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. MSD is a trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.msd-uk.com and connect with us @MSDintheUK on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook.

GB-NON-04806 | Date of Preparation: September 2021